Control for loom handwheels



Jan. 14, 1947. v, sE I 2,414,174

CONTROL FOR LOOM HAND WHEELS Filed Oct. 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 62 60 FIG. I

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ENVENTOR VICTOR Fl SEPAVICH ATTORNEY V. F. SEPAVICH CONTROL FOR LOOM HAND WHEELS Jan. 14, 1947.

Filed Oct. 29, '1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

INVENTOR VICTQR E SEPAVICH flu. 4*

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1947 CONTROL FOR LOOM HANDWHEELS Victor F. Sepavich, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a. corporation of Massachusetts Application October 29, 1945, Serial No. 625,220

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to control means for the hand wheels of looms and it i the general object of the invention to provide a control which will enable the hand wheel to be at rest when the loom is running.

The top or crank shaft of a loom ordinarily has fixed thereon a hand Wheel by which the loom can be turned over manually, The momentum of this wheel adds to the forces which must be dissipated when theloom is stopped, as by protection mechanism. The rotation of the wheel also constitutes a hazard to the weaver, especially if parts of the loom adjacent to the hand wheel must be inspected or adjusted during loom operation.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a clutch between the shaft and hand wheel operated by a centrifugal governor in such manner that the hand wheel is declutched or released when the shaft attains full speed.

In order to prevent the hand wheel from being frictionally dragged along with the shaft it is a further object of the invention to mount the wheel independently of and out of engagement with the shaft. A stationary bearing for some part of the wheel structure provides suitable means for supporting the wheel out of contact with the shaft during loom operation.

With these and other objects in view which will appear a the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a, convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the driven end of a loom showing the hand wheel disconnected from the shaft due to running of the loom,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2,Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail vertical sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 2,

6 is a vertical section on line 66, Fig, 5,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 1-1, Fig. 2,

i Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View similar to part of Fig. 2 but on a smaller scale showing the parts with the hand wheel connected to the shaft, a condition existing when the loom is stopped, and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of a part of Fig- 1 showing conditions existing in a loom when the latter is stopped by the protector mechanism. Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame It, breast beam ll, brake and shipp handles l2 and |3, respectively, brake band l4. top or crank shaft I5, gear l6 secured to it, loom driving clutch I1, and motor driven gear I8 are all of usual construction. .A shipper lever l9 under control of the shipper handle causes the gear l8 to drive shaft l5 when in the on or running" position shown in Fig. 1. An outboard bearing frame 29 has a bearing 2| for the shaft, and the loom frame has a second shaft bearing 22.

The Parts thus far described operate in the usual manner and. of themselves form no part of my invention except as the shaft operates the aforesaid centrifugal governor in a manner to be described.

' The governor comprises a collar 25 secured to shaft 15, as by a pin 26, and three leaf or flat springs 21 secured to the collar at 28. A second collar 29 is keyed at 30 to the shaft but slidable therealong and has the outer or right ends of the springs secured thereto as at 3|, see Fig. 2. A weight 32 is secured as at 33 to each of the springs, and when the shaft is turning during loom operation the weights spread the springs and hold the collar 29 to the left or in the nonengaging position shown in Fig. 2. When the loom stops running the shaft comes to rest and the springs contract or move toward the shaft and cause slipping of collar 29 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 along the shaft to the position shown in Fig. 8.

A fixed bearing stand 35 on the outboard bearing frame has a bearing 36 in which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 31 formed preferably with a shoulder 38 for bearing 36 and having also a flange 39 to which the hand wheel 49 is secured as at 4|. The sleeve and hand wheel turn in bearing 36, and the hand wheel is spaced from and does not engage the shaft.

The hand Wheel clutch comprises two parts, a clutch ring or member 45 integral with the sliding collar 29 and a second ring or member 41 secured as at 48 to sleeve 31. Member 41 and sleeve 31 are spaced from and out of contact with shaft l5, see Figs. 2, 6 and 7. The rin 41 and shoulder 38 prevent appreciable axial motion of the hand Wheel relatively to the shaft by their engagement with bearing 36.

Ring 41 has peripheral notches 50 which receive lugs 5| projecting laterally from rin 45. When the members 45 and 41 are spaced as shown in Fig. 5 the hand wheel is disconnected from shaft 15 and remains stationary, since it is supported by bearing 36 and is out of driving rela-' tion with respect to the shaft. When the clutch members are in engagement with each other as shown in Fig. 8, however, the wheel is clutched to the shaft due to entry of lugs 5i into notches 50.

In operation with the loom running and shaft l5 turning at full speed the weights 32 will act by centrifugal force to pull clutch member 45 away from member 41 and the hand wheel will be stationary. Should the loom protect under these conditions there will be no inertia of the wheel to dissipate. When the loom stops springs 21 will draw their weights 32 toward shaft [5 and cause sliding movement of collar 29 and clutch member. 45 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2. Under these conditions the springs exert a force on ring or member 45 toward member 41, and eventually the notches 50 will be entered by lugs 5|, thereby coupling the hand wheel to the shaft so that the loom can be turned over manually by the weaver.

Upon resumption of loom operation the weights 32 will move away from shaft l5 and pull clutch member 45 away from member 41. During this operation the hand wheel will start to rotate with the shaft but will be disconnected from it before the loom attains normal speed.

The use of the invention in connection with the loom protector mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 9. The lay L is connected to and reciprocated by the shaft l5 and shuttle S travels across the loom through the warp shed W in the usual manner. The lay has a protector rod 60 with a dagger 6i ordinarily depressed if the shuttle is boxed at a given point in the forward beat of the lay. Should the shuttle be late and he in the position shown in Fig. 9 at said point the dagger 6! will be raised and engage a knockoff or bunter lever 62 pivoted on the loom frame at 63. The lever will rock in a direction to move the brake handle [2 from running to stopped position, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 9, to initiate loom stoppage. The brake bank I4 will then be applied as lever 62 is forced against a hunter 65 on the loom frame, thereby abruptly stopping the lay immediately after the dagger 6| engages lever 62. This stopping operation occurs while the hand wheel is disconnected from the shaft l5, hence there is no momentum of the hand wheel to be arrested when th 100m protects.

The shuttle will be in the shed, see Fig. 9, and the weaver must reverse the shaft 15 to turn the lay rearwardly so that the shuttle can be removed. Stopping of rotation of shaft l-5 incident to loom stoppage, however, caused automatic engagement of the clutch members, and for this reason the weaver is able to turn thelay backwardly by means of the hand wheel. It is thus seen that the hand wheel, being stationary during loom operation, possesses no energy to be dissipated at protection, and that the wheel is automatically clutched to the shaft in readiness for reversing the lay.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a control for the hand wheel of a loom .It will also be seen that bearing '36 supports the hand wheel out of engagement"with the shaft when the loom is running and that because of this fact no force, is communicated from the shaft to the wheel tending to turn the latter under normal weaving conditions.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a loom having a, shaft which rotates during loom operation and comes to rest when the loom is stopped, a hand wheel for the shaft, a fixed bearing independent of the shaft supporting the hand wheel for rotation concentrically about the shaft, a clutch member fixed with respect to th hand wheel, a second clutch member slidable on and rotating with the shaft and capable of having driving engagement with the first named member, and governor means connected to the second member and to the shaft and effective when the shaft is turning during loom operation to maintain the second member out of driving engagement relatively to the first member and effectiv when the shaft is at rest due to loom stoppage to cause said second member to have driving engagement with said first member to permit the shaft to be turned manually by the hand wheel.

2. In a loom having a shaft which rotates during loom operation and comes to rest when the loom is stopped, a hand wheel for the shaft, a fixed bearing mounting th hand wheel for rotation concentrically about the shaft and out of engagement with the latter, a, pair of clutch members, one rnember fixed relatively to the hand Wheel and the other member rotating with the shaft and slidable along the latter into and Out of driving engagement with said one member, and governor means connected to said other member and the shaft and efiective to cause driving engagement of said members when the shaft is at rest to enable the shaft to be turned by manualturning of the hand wheel and effective when the shaft is turning during loom op! eration to move said other member out of driving engagement with said one member and enable said hand wheel to remain at rest relatively to said bearing.

3. In a loom having a shaft which rotates dur-' ing loom operation and comes to rest when the loom is stopped, a hand wheel for the shaft mounted in such manner that the shaft'can turn while' the hand wheel is stationary, clutch mechanism including a member fixed with respect to the hand wheel and a second member rotating with and slidable along the shaft, a. centrifugal governor for the mechanism operatively connected to the shaft and causing said member'sto be out of driving engagement with each, other when the shaft is'turning during loom operation} and loom protector mechanism capable of initiating loom stoppage when said member-safe out of engagementwith' each other andthe hand wheel is stationary and thereafter causing the loom and shaft to come to rest, said governor effective when the shaft comes to rest to causeengagement of said members to operatively connect the hand wheel to the shaft, whereby'the loom may be turned backwardly manually.

4-.- In aloom having a shaft which rotates and immediately thereafter effect loom stoppage to bring the shaft to rest if the shuttle is in the Warp shed at said point during forward movement of the lay, a hand wheel for the shaft mounted in such manner that the shaft can turn while the hand wheel is stationary, clutch mechanism including one member fixed with respect to the wheel and a second member turning with the shaft and slidable therealong, and a centrifugal governor for said mechanism rotating with the shaft and connected to said second member and effective when the loom is operating to hold said second member out of engagement with said one member and effective when the loom is stopped by the protector mechanism to move said second member into driving engagement with said one member, whereupon the shaft can be turned manually by the hand wheel in a direction to move the lay rearwardly.

5. In a loom having a shaft which rotates and is connected to a lay to reciprocate the latter during loom operation, the loom having protector mechanism operative at a given point in the forward beat of the lay to effect loom stoppage to bring the loom and shaft to rest if the shuttle is in the warp shed at said point during forward movement of the lay, a stationary bearing surrounding the shaft, a hand wheel having a hub rotatable in said bearing but out of engagement with the shaft, a clutch member secured to said hub and also surrounding but out of engagement with the shaft, a second clutch member rotating with and sliding along the shaft, and governor means connected to the second member and rotating with the shaft when the latter turns and normally effective during loom operation to hold said second clutch member out of engagement with the first clutch member, said governor effective when the loom is stopped by said protector mechanism to effect engagement of said members and thereby operatively connect the hand wheel to the shaft to enable the latter to turn in a direction to move the lay rearwardly to permit removal of the shuttle from the warp shed.

6. In a loom having a shaft which rotates and is connected to a lay to reciprocate the latter backwardly and forwardly during loom operation, protector mechanism operative at a given point in the forward beat of the lay to effect loom stoppage to bring the shaft to rest if the shuttle is in the warp shed at said point during forward movement of the lay, a hand wheel for the shaft mounted in such manner that the shaft can turn while the hand wheel is stationary, a clutch member connected to the hand wheel and rotatable therewith, a second clutch member rotating with and slidable along the shaft, a collar secured to the shaft, leaf springs connecting the collar and said second member and normally effective to cause engagement of said members to connect the hand wheel operatively to the shaft, and a Weight attached to each leaf spring, said weights during rotation of the shaft deforming said leaf springs in such manner as to cause the latter to move the second member out of engagement with the first member, said leaf springs returning to their normal form when the protector mechanism effects loom stoppage and thereby causing engagement of aid members to enable the shaft to be turned manually by the hand wheel in such direction as to move the lay rearwardly to permit removal of the shuttle from the warp shed.

7. In a loom having a shaft which rotates and is connected to a lay to reciprocate the latter backwardly and forwardly during loom operation, protector mechanism operative at a given point in the forward beat of the lay to effect loom stoppage to bring the shaft to rest if the shuttle is in the warp shed at said point during forward movement of the lay, a fixed bearing surrounding the shaft, a hand wheel having a hub rotatable in said bearing, means preventing relative movement of the hub with respect to the bearing axially of the shaft, said means inciuding a clutch member secured to the hub, a second clutch memher turning with and slidable along a shaft, and governor means connected to said shaft and said second member and effective during rotation of the shaft to move said second member out of engagement with the first member and effective when the loom and shaft are stopped by said protector mechanism to move said second memher into engagement with the first member, thereby operatively connecting the hand wheel to the shaft to permit rotation of the latter in a direction corresponding to reverse movement of the lay to permit removal of the shuttle from the warp shed.

8. In a loom having a shaft which. rotates and is connected to a lay to reciprocate the latter backwardly and forwardly during loom operation, protector mechanism operative at a given point in the forward beat of the lay to effect loom stoppage to bring the shaft to rest if the shuttle is in the warp shed at said point during forward movement of the lay, a fixed bearing, a hand wheel having a hub rotatable in said bearing, said hub having a shoulder to engage said bearing to limit movement of the hub relatively to the bearing axially of the shaft in one direction, a clutch member secured to the hub and engaging the bearing and cooperating with the latter to limit movement of the hub relatively to the bearing axially of the shaft in the opposite direction, a second clutch member rotating with and slidable along the shaft, and governor means connected to the shaft and said second member and effective during rotation of the shaft to hold said second member out of engagement with the first member, said governor means effective when the protector mechanism stops rotation of the shaft to move the second member into engagement with the first member and thereby operatively connect the hand wheel to the shaft to permit turning of the latter in a direction corresponding to reverse movement of the lay to facilitate removal of the shuttle from the warp shed.

9. In a loom having a shaft which rotates during loom operation and comes to rest when the loom is stopped, a fixed bearing extending around the axis of the shaft, a hand wheel rotatable with respect to the bearing and supported by the latter out of engagement with the shaft, and mechanism capable of assuming two positions in one of which the hand wheel is disconnected from the shaft and in the other of which the hand wheel is operatively connected to the shaft, said mechanism including a centrifugal governor driven by the shaft and effective during loom operation to cause said mechanism to assume said one position and maintain the hand wheel disconnected from the shaft, said governor effective upon stoppage of the loom to cause said mechanism to assume the other position thereof and connect the hand wheel operatively to the shaft.

VICTOR F. SEPAVICH. 

